Claws and Tales
by Rikkitsune
Summary: A collection of drabbles and short stories exploring different settings, pairings and relationships between the Inuyasha characters, both canon and noncanon.


**_Heart's Blood - An Inuyasha Drabble_**

**_By Rikkitsune_**

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_Hello Everybody!_

_This is my first attempt at writing for the Inuyasha fandom. I predominantly write for the Rurouni Kenshin fandom, but I'm branching out a little into the Labyrinth fandom as well.So, any feedback you Inuyasha experts may have would be greatly appreciated._

_This drabble was written as a response to a challenge from **royalblueKitsune**, who wrote: "I would like to request a drabble for the Inuyasha fandom, one about Sesshoumaru and how he views Kagome as both a person, a miko and a human being (I'm into SK pairing but I'm not necessarily asking for romance or fluff. Anything you want to write on this subject is fine with me)."_

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_WARNINGS: Just some violence. Also, thereare some _very _minor allusions to a Sesshoumaru/Kagome pairing, but only if you look for it. This piece was written in about 45 minutes, is un-edited and un-beta'd._

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters._

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Sesshoumaru surveyed the blood congealing on his fingers with interest, though the expression on his face never changed.

It had been a most invigorating battle this morning. He recalled with satisfaction the feeling of tearing through the snake demon's body, his poison cauterizing the ragged edges of flesh.

The stench of burning skin and blood had filled the clearing, assaulting his sensitive nose. Exhilarating. The kill had been swift, bloody and satisfying, carrying all the hallmarks of the Demon Lord's strength and precision.

Unbidden, the thought came to him _how easily this blood could have been hers._ Disconcerted, Sesshoumaru shook off the thought and stood. He needed to clean this filth of his hands.

Turning his head slightly, Sesshoumaru glanced down at Kagome, still lying motionless on the ground. She had taken a hard hit to the head and had been unconscious the majority of the time since then. While part of Sesshoumaru scoffed at the weakness of humans, particularly human _women_, he had to admit that this girl was somewhat stronger than most _youkai_ gave her credit for.

She had been alone. Sesshoumaru wondered at that. All the times he had ever encountered her, his half-bred mutt of a brother had never been far away, if not with her. But on this day, there had been no sign of him, not even a hint of his scent on the wind. The _houshi_, _tajiya _and _kitsune_ were also nowhere to be seen.

Odd.

She had fought the snake demon gamely, despite being of inferior physical strength and size. She'd managed to nick its face with a purified arrow before it lashed out with its spine-covered tail and sent her flying. The _miko_ had landed hard, colliding with a tree trunk. She hadn't moved after that.

Sesshoumaru had been moving before he even realised what he was doing. His original plan had simply been to stand on the sidelines and watch. But, it seemed, his body had ideas contrary to his thoughts. He'd disposed of the _youkai_ within about thirty seconds. Then, he was standing over the _miko's_ prone body.

She'd opened her eyes, as if sensing him in front of her. Sesshoumaru could see that they were clouded with pain and fatigue. Humans were so fragile. So easily damaged.

She hadn't been afraid. She'd seemed almost… _relieved_ to see him. Sesshoumaru wasn't sure how he felt about that. She'd given him a weak smile and then promptly slipped back into unconsciousness.

Feeling an utter fool, Sesshoumaru had debated with himself a moment. Where was Jaken when you needed him? With a deep scowl, he'd picked the girl up and carried her away. She was surprisingly light, more so than he'd expected. Sighing inwardly, he'd decided to set up camp for the night and watch over her. She would likely die in this condition if left alone. He would return her to her pack in the morning.

Now, as he stood here, looking at her, Sesshoumaru knew that he wouldn't ever be able to see the _miko_ in the same light again. He had always thought humans were weak and cowardly, but he had witnessed her bravery in the face of adversity firsthand. She must have known she couldn't win, yet she did not run. He felt a sort of grudging respect, despite the fact that she'd behaved foolishly.

What was really bothering him was the fact that he couldn't seem to categorise Kagome in the standard, derisive fashion that he was comfortable with anymore. She had more backbone than a normal human, but far less strength than any _youkai_. It left her somewhere in the middle. It made him distinctly uncomfortable for some reason.

After giving the situation much thought, Sesshoumaru conceded to himself that while Kagome was human, yes, she was also a _miko_. That made her different from the others. There was an underlying strength to her that captured his curiosity, though he would never admit it out loud. He supposed that she was unique.

Besides that, he was curious about anyone who would associate with the filthy _hanyou_ by _choice_. Weren't _mikos_ supposed to purify demons? It was the task that the undead priestess, that Kikyou, had believed to be more important than anything else. Even his brother.

Sesshoumaru supposed that he would have to reconcile his long-standing perceptions of humans and _mikos _into co-existing, at least in Kagome's case. It was the only way he would ever understand this girl.

And Sesshoumaru found himself rather wanting to understand Kagome.

Though he would never admit it out loud.

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**_Author's Notes_**

_Please read and let me know what you think!_


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